Process of and apparatus for the manufacture of synthetic lumber



Feb. 23, 1932., I 0 R, SWEENEY 1,846,406 I PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FORTHE MANUFACTURE OF SYNTHETIC LUMBER Filed April 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Feb. 23, 1932.

o. R. SWEENEY PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SYNTHETICLUMBER Filed April 28, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet wee y y (mm M M Patented Feb.23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OBLALN'D RUSSELL SWEENEY; OF AIES,IOWA, ASSIGNOR 1'0 NATIONAL GOBNSTALK PROCESSES, INC OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE ,V-J PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FORTHE MLANUFACTUBE OIEKSYNTHETIG LUMBER Application'flled April 28; 1930.Serial No. 447,863. i

This invention has to do with the manufacture of synthetic lumber, inthe form of boards, out of corn stalks or other fibrous materials suchas straw, wood waste, bagasse, steam exploded wood, spent licorice root,paunchpress cake, broom corn, Jerusalem artichoke tops, sunflowerstalks, etc. In treating such materials for that purpose the commonpractice is to reduce them to the form of pulp, either by mechanicaltreatment alone, usually in the presence of water, or by mechanicaltreatment after cooking them in certain chemicals to reduce them to astate in which they may more readily be felted into the form of a mat.After such preliminary treatment the materials are usually formed into amat by the use of suitable apparatus, during which felting process agreater or les proportion of the water contained in the mass is removed,and the mat is then pressed to the desired density and thickness. Afterbeing dried and trimmed it is usually made ready for the market in theform of boards. g

Many of the mat forming machines heretofore employed make use'of suctionto remove excess water during the formation of the mat, and in allmachines of that type the top surface of the mat as delivered from theforming machine to the press is somewhat rough and lumpy. When suchmaterial enters the press, which may be of any suitable type, the lumpysurface of the mat is pressed down, and as the water is sqeezed out,ow-' ing to the corrugation or roughness of the upper surface of theboard, broad channels are formed through which the water tends to escapeout of the press. The result .of this is the production of a board whichis either rough on the top surface when dried, or the top surface ofwhich so reflects light from the water formed channels as to give theappearance of a rough surface. In either case this is objectionablebecause such a surface is not easy to decorate over when the board isused for interior building purposes, and oftentimes for other reasons itis preferable that the surface of the board he left smooth and free fromsuch reflecting surfaces. A

I have discovered that the rough surfaces or lumps referred to are dueto the formation of small clots of the pulp which are held in this roughstate due to the jell-like structure of the mass. by water of hydration,which tends to form clots of fibers at the time of the delivery of themass upon the mat forming machine, and the object of my presentinvention is to provide a method and apparatus by which such clots maybe broken up or dissipated, so'that when the mat passes to the press itsupper surface will be practically free from any such lumps orexcrescences, with the result that the board after the pressingoperation will be smooth, and the formation of channels, or the lightreflecting surfaces referred to, will have been avoided. 1

I accomplish this object by subjecting the upper surface of the mat,after it is formed, to superficial vibration, the effect of which is tocause the water of hydration of the particles to break loose from theclots, and the jell having been broken, the clots then becomesemi-liquid, which causes the surface to fall under the action ofgravity, as is the case with all known viscous liquids, or suspensionsof pulp in liquid, into a uniform Each fiber is surrounded smoothsurface. The application of vibration to superficial the upper surfaceof the fibrous mat, prior to the pressing operation, for the purpose ofreducing or eliminating the rou h surfaces or lumps referred toconstitutes e process of this application.

For the application of my improved process practically, various forms ofapparatus may be satisfactorily employed, and in the 'accomingmachineequipped with means forap plying vibration to the upper surface of themat F ig. 2 is a partial longitudinal vertical sec tion on line 2.2 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial transverse vertical sec 'tion on line 33 of Fig. 1;

suitable means, such as a wiper, for applying Fig. 4 is a sectionaldetail illustrating one form of wiper by which the vibratory action isapplied to the surface of the mat; and Figs. 5 and 6 are similar: viewsshowing modifications thereof. 7

Briefly stated, my improved apparatus comprises a vibratory member,preferably in the form of a plate that extends transversely of theforming machine across the mat, but out of contact therewith, and isprovided with the vibratory movement to the surface of the mat, withoutpenetrating it, as it travels along under the vibratory member. Suchwiper may be either in the form of a flexible sheet of cloth orequivalent material the lower mar ginal portion of which rests on andhas frictional contact with the surface of the mat, or it may be in theform of a hinged block or plate supported by the vibratory member sothat it bears on the surface of the mat and subjects it to the desiredsuperficial vibratory action.

Referring now to the drawings, I shall describe in detail the apparatustherein illustrated, but it is to be understood that my invention is notrestricted to the particular apparatus shown as it includes suchmodifications as may occur to those skilled in the art. In the drawings,7 indicates a mat forming machine of the type employing a traveling wirescreen 8 upon which the pulp is deposited in the form of a semi-liquidmass-from a.-

chute 9'supplied by a pump connected with aninletcpipem. ,The wirescreen 8, as is customary, travels over a series of reconditioning rolls11, and over a suction box 12 by means of which suction is applied tothe mass of pulp from below'to remove excess water,- therefrom. Part ofsuch excess water is removed by gravity as the pulp passes overthepre-conditioning rolls 11 and is caught by a pan 13 shown in Fig. 2.One of the rolls over which the screen 8 travels is indicated at 14.

It will be understood that the suction box 12 is connected with 'asuitable pump by which a partial vacuum therein is maintained. In theillustrated construction the operating parts ofitheqiapparatus aresupported by a series of posts 15 at opposite sides of the machine.

At opposite provided to confinethe pulp. at the' sides. These deckleboards are adjustably supported by screws 17, 18 carried by certain ofthe posts 15 so that they may be set at different distances apart, andtheir angular relation may be altered; They are shown as being set at arearwardly diverging angle to each other, but such arrangement is notclaimed herein as it is included in a separate application.

Secured-to two of the posts 15, at opposite sides of the machine,opposite the point where the mat is formed, are two brackets 19, 20

r V H 7 sides of the machine, near themargins of the wire screen, deckleboards are of any design suitable for the intended purpose. The bracket19 supports a longitudinally extending screw threaded rod 21' providedwith a pulley 22 at one end, as best shown in Fig. 1. Threaded on thisrod is a guide preferably in the form of a sleeve 23 having a transversegroove 24, best shown in Fig. 2. A rod 25 similar to the rod 21 iscarried by the bracket 20 and is provided near one end with a pulley 26and with a hand wheel 27. The pulley ,26 is in line with the pulley 22on the rod 21, and these two pulleys are connected by a chain 28, sothat by rotating the hand wheel 27 both rods 21, 25 maybe similarlyrotated. Threaded on the rod 25 is a bracket 29 which carries a smallelectric motor 30 and also a shaft 31. As best shown in Fig. 1, theshaft 21 is driven from the motor 30 by a belt 32 operating over pulleys33, 34, the pulley 33 being mounted on the armature shaft of the motor30 and the pulley 34 on the shaft 31. The latter shaft also carries aguide preferably in the form of a block 35 which is provided with atransverse groove 36 similar to the groove 24 and in alinemeiittherewith. Obviously by rotating the hand wheel 27 the two guides may besimultaneously and equally 'A vibratory member in the form of atransabove the mat, and out of contact therewith, said plate beingsomewhat longer than the distance between the guides'23, 35, andhaving'i ts end portions resting in the grooves 24, 36. Thus when theplate 39 is vibrated transversely with respect to the line of movementof the mat, as hereinafter explained, it will be maintained in itsproper position by the guides 23, 35.

Also mounted on the shaft 31 isan eccentric 40 fixed to said shaft so asto rotate therewith, and mounted on said eccentric is a pit- 1nan'41that is pivotally connected at 42 to verse plate 39 extends across themachine the vibratory plate 39. By this arrangee ment, rotation of theshaft 31 reciprocates or vibrates the plate 39 transversely of themachine. Springs 43, 44 at opposite sides of the machine are connectedrespectively at their outer ends to the guides 23, 35 and at their innerends tojthe plate 39 at the points 45', 46. These springs are of equaltension and tend to 'normally center the vibratory plate 39, and also tocushion said plate and take up the knock so that it will vibratesmoothly 1 and satisfactorily.

Secured to the plate 39' and depending therefrom is a wiper preferablyin the form of a flexible cloth or sheet 47' that extends transverselythe full width of the mat, the

lower end of said sheet being adapted to rest 0n the surface of andfrictionally engage the mat as the latter travels along under it due tothe movement of the wire screen 8.

The sheet 47 may either be a suitable piece of cloth or other fabric asillustrated in Fig. 4, or it may be of any other suitable form whichwill apply the desired superficial vibratory movement to the surface ofthe mat without penetration thereof. In Fig. 5 I have shown the wiper asbeing formed of a thin flexible piece of rubber or'rubber composition,48, the pressure of which on the mat may be regulated by a chain 49, andin Fig. 6 I have shown the wiper as composed of a transverse board 50having hinged to its lower margin :1 block 51 that bears on the surfaceof the mat. V

From the foregoing description it will be understood that when the motor30 is in op eration the member 39 will be reciprocated or vibratedrapidly transversely of the mat, thereby moving the wiperin like mannerupon the upper surface of the mat as it travels beneath it. In itsvibratory movement the wiper is in frictional engagement with such uppersurface but does not penetrate it. since should it do so it wouldroughen or plow it up and unfit the mat for use. It servestodisintegrate or break down the clots of pulp by releasing the water ofhydration of the particles thereof, causing the clots to becomesemi-liquid and subside to give the mat a uniform smooth surface, sothat when the mat is subjected to the pressing operation it will nothave the channels or light reflecting surfaces referred to earlier inthis specification. Besides this smoothing action the vibration has theeffect of giving a very much stronger board, or surface on the board.without interfering with its insulating qualities by packing it tighter.This is due to the fact that the vibratory movement given the uppermostfibers is communicated to a greater or less extent to the adjacentunderlying fibers, with the result that the fibers become more firmlvinterwoven, and consequently the matand particularly that portionadjacent the surface thereof is made stronger.

In practice I have found that a small electric motor of from one-eighthto one-qurater horse power with a rating of about 900 R. p P. M. issuflicient for the purpose, although I have satisfactorily used motorsof lower "aridhigher rating. Where the vibratory member is operated byan electricmotor in the manner described the springs 43, 44 aredesirable, but if the vibratory member .39 were operated by means suchas an electromagnet, it would not be necessary to use the springs.

It will be understood, of courseQthat the wiper member may be attachedto the vibratory member 39 in any suitable way, and also that myinvention is not limited to mounting the vibratory member in guides ofthe particular form shown, although that construction is desirable as itprovides convenient means for adjusting said member longitudi nally ofthe machine as well asfor, its convenient application to the guides orits removal therefrom. The length of the wiper should be such that itmay reciprocate properly between the deckle boards.

I claim: 1. The method of smoothing the upper surface of a fibrous matwhich consists in applying vibration superficially thereto.

2. The method of smoothing the upper surface of a fibrous mat whichconsists in vibrating a suitable wiper bearing upon the sirface of themat without penetration there- 0 3. The method of smoothing the uppersurface of a traveling fibrous mat which consists in vibrating asuitable frictional wiper upon the surface of the mat transversely ofthe direction of travel of the mat.

4. The method of smoothing the upper surface of a fibrous mat whichconsists in passing the mat under and in contact with a sub stantiallysmooth non-penetrating vibrating element. a

5. The method of smoothing the upper surface of a fibrous mat whichconsists in passing the mat under and in contact with a transverselyvibrating wiper that engages the surface of the mat without penetrationthereof.

surface of the mat. means for vibrating said member transversely of themat, and flexible means carried by said vibratory member adapted toengage the surface of the mat.

6. The combination with a mat forming 9. The combination with a matforming apparatus, of a transversely disposed vibratory member, guidesfor the end portions of said member, means for vibrating said memher.and means carried by said member adapted to superficially engage thesurface of the matto smooth the same.

10. The combination with a mat forming apparatus, of a transverselydisposed vibratory member, guides for the end portions of said member.means for vibrating said mem-, ber. cushioning springs for saidvibratory member. and means carried by said member adapted to engage thesurface of %he mat to smooth the same.

11. The combination with a mat forming apparatus, of a transverselydisposed vibra-' tory member, guides for the end portions of saidmember, means for simultaneously adjusting said guides longitudinally ofthe apparatus, means for vibrating said member,

and means carried by said member adapted to engage the surface of themat without penetrating such surface to smooth the same.

12. The combination with a mat forming apparatus, of a transverselydisposed vibratory member, guiding means for said memher, a motoroperatively connected with said member for vibrating the same,oppositely acting springs for cushioning and centering said member, andmeans carried by said member adapted to engage the surface of the mat tosmooth the same. I

13. The combination with a mat forming apparatus, of a vibratory member,means for vibrating said member transversely of the mat, and flexiblesmoothing means carried by said member and extending across the mat inengagement with the surface thereof.-

14. The combination with a mat forming apparatus, of a vibratory plateextending transversely across the mat, means for vibrating said plate,means for guiding said plate, and flexible smoothing means carried bysaid plate and extending across the mat in en-V gagement with the uppersurface of the mat without penetrating the same.

In' witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 21st day of April,1930. 1

ORLAND RUSSELL SWEENEY.

